DEAR ABBY: My husband and I were recently invited to the lavish wedding of the daughter of one of my civic club members. I have never met the bride or groom, and I'm unlikely ever to do so. I believe that strangers or even casual acquaintances have no place at something so personal as a wedding. We declined the invitation and sent a nice card with our best wishes.
Abby, this couple went to Italy on their honeymoon. The bride's father is very wealthy. They want for nothing. It is doubtful that anything we could have given them would have measured up. (We are of modest means.)
At our next civic club meeting, the mother of the bride gave me the cold shoulder. She chattered on and on about the wedding and what a nice time everyone had, filling the society columnist seated next to her in on who was there, and the details.
Was I out of line to have sent only a card? Should we have attended the wedding in spite of the fact that we knew neither the groom nor the bride, and would have felt out of place? -- SNOBBED IN SCHENECTADY
DEAR SNOBBED: Don't allow the mother's reaction to rattle you -- you were NOT out of line. You have every right to decline any invitation you wish. A card was appropriate, especially since you know neither the bride nor the groom.